Dark Night of the Soul . . . Or, Star Trek Into Darkness Review

A comment on the franchise?

Let's get something out of the way first.  I like Star Trek.  I was a fan of the reboot and the original series.  I'm a huge fan of Deep Space Nine and I think it represents a solid attempt to combine action with a meaningful debate on the morality of war, religion and about a million other things.  It was also fun as all get-out.

Which is what Star Trek Into Darkness definitely is.  Fun.  A wonton romp to just about nowhere, without rhyme or reason.  And several 'splosions.  And Alice Eve in her underwear.  Because, I mean, really.  For what other reason does her character appear except to randomly (and it really is out of the blue) undress in front of Captain Kirk?

Which is basically what this movie boiled down to.  A lot happened -- from a terrorist attack, to an interstellar manhunt, to a ten-second debate on the existential dilemma between law-and-order and justice -- but not a lot really happened.  Cribbing many of its lines from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, it felt like a bad joke, or a poorly timed parody of a film that was deeply invested in exploring the boundary between life and death, heroism and the extent of scientific advancement.  Moreover, "Wrath of Khan" has a deeply emotional conclusion which is the ultimate culmination of decades of on-screen relationships between the central characters.

Because why not?

Ultimately, the second Trek is a silly pastiche of Star Trek tropes that descends quickly into inanity.  While it moves quickly, the pacing seems directed at brushing over its shallowness; the humor is sophomoric and the petty bickering between Kirk and Spock is just that: petty.  While it might be a spectacle to behold, it left me with a bad taste in my mouth.  It was pandering of the worst kind.

I don't recommend this movie to really anyone.